Sljeme Pastry (Gibanica)

This pastry, named after the highest peak of the mountain Medvednica (Croatia) really has no connection to Paganism, though its ingredients perfectly fit into the Imbolc kitchen. Cottage cheese and cooking cream (which are generally the basic ingredients for the Croatian pastry called gibanica) which make the pastry all the more juicy and the flavor of which dominates can be connected to what's going on in nature at this time, namely the lactation of ewes. This is why milk and dairy products in general are favorite ingredients for the Imbolc kitchen. The other dominant ingredients in this pastry such as almonds and apples simply have a wonderful taste and add to the cake's original and refreshing taste.

You Will Need:

• 500 g almonds (hazelnuts can work too)
• 500 g cottage cheese
• 6 dl cooking cream
• 1 pack of integral strudel dough (400 g, you get it in the form of thin sheets, I had 9 sheets in the package)
• 1 kg apples
• 300 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• sunflower oil

How To Prepare:

1. Bake the almonds in the oven for 5 minutes at 200°C until they let out their nice aroma and only darken a little bet. Grind them.
2. Heat up 1.5 dl cooking cream and add 100 g sugar. Mix until the sugar is melted and add the ground almonds. Mix until everything is compact. Let it cool down. Leave the rest of the cooking cream aside for later (you will need it to pour over the different pastry layers).
3. In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs and 100 g sugar using an electric mixer.
4. Peel the apples, grate them and mix with 100 g sugar.
5. Oil your baking pan (mine is about 35 x 25 cm and about 7 cm deep).
6. Arrange the layers of the pastry/gibanica in the following order: 3 strudel sheets - cooking cream (1 dl) - almond mixture - 2 strudel sheets - cooking cream (1 dl) - cheese mixture - 2 strudel sheets - cooking cream (1 dl) - apple mixture - 2 strudel sheets

Note: when spreading the almond, cheese and apple mixtures, try to spread them as evenly as possible so that the pastry looks nice when cut and so every layer can be tasted in every bite.

7. Mix the remaining 1.5 dl cooking cream with 1 tbsp sunflower oil and a bit of sugar. Pour over the pastry.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180°C.

Winter as a Time of Clean(s)ing

In a few days (on February 1/2 traditionally, or astronomically on February 4) we will be celebrating Imbolc - the midpoint of winter. A few days ago, I went on an outing and treated myself to a day of relaxation during this very active period of my life. The outing itself just confirmed the general state which seemed to me that not only I, but many people around me were also in. The state I am talking about is that of hibernation, or better put winter passivity.

Watching nature, it is very easy to notice this same state in the dry ground, naked tree branches, the fog stretching out over the rivers and in our visible breath in the air. Winter is in itself a passive period what both humans and animals feel the need to sleep and when a kind of lethargy prevails. But that's completely natural. Although, Imbolc reminds us that we have to slowly awaken, motivate ourselves to get out of bed (be it actual or metaphorical) and get moving.

In the midst of this cold natural world in which we found ourselves where we could see only naked, fallen branches, cracked earth, fog, where the smell of dampness and moss dominated and only silence could be heard, there came to us a small robin - that wonderful, cute little bird that was our first hint of spring. And truly, once of the symbols of Imbolc is the red-breasted robin who, at this time of year when the snow starts to melt (even though there isn't much snow where I live), stops living on berries and starts searching for insects hidden in the soil. He brought to us a ray of flash of color in the middle of the gray winter landscape. In this sense, the robin is one of the many indicators of spring.

It's interesting that I went on this outing with the aim of releasing certain emotions, or rather discarding the redundant and welcoming the new. However, at the time, I had completely forgotten that this is also one of the traditions of Imbolc. That is to say, the lite motif of Imbolc is cleansing. It is necessary to cleanse oneself, one's surroundings and even physically clean up in order to get rid of the unnecessary burdens in life and get ready for the active part of the year that is to come. We often don't take account of how many things accumulate in us and around us; how much all of this suffocates us and fetters us in life. The causes of this can be various. Sometimes it's people who suck out our energy; who tire us out. Sometimes it's problems that are simply there, thanks to us or not. Sometimes it's emotions which prevent us from further spiritual and mental growth. Imbolc (or rather the period around it) and the Imbolc ritual itself are there precisely for this reprobation of everything that is wasting and suffocating us.

All of this is done with the aim of cleansing and getting ready for the oncoming period which begins with Ostara in March. From the agricultural viewpoint, some seeds are already planted at Imbolc (which is why seed blessings are often a part of the Imbolc ritual), albeit the actual sowing season begins at Ostara. For a spiritual/emotional aspect, it is a good idea to prepare the terrain for the "sowing" of new ideas. This means cleaning the terrain, "loosening the emotional earth" and nurturing our seeds (ideas, certain characteristics, individual personalities, emotions, self-confidence etc.). It's not enough to simply plant a seed for it to grow. Many preparations need to be done before hand, such as offering love to the seed and nourishing the earth in which it will be planted. I believe you can further extend this metaphor yourselves. Anyway, one of the traditions of Imbolc is (pre-) spring cleaning of both the home and the individual identity. However, this is usually done on the eve of Imbolc, which falls on January 31 this year.

Cleaning automatically makes room for novelty and therefore also prosperity and fertility. I would like to prompt you to treat yourselves and relieve yourselves of some burdens life brings for this Sabbat. Do some "deep cleaning" - clean your car and home thoroughly, mop your floors, vacuum your rugs, shake and air them out, don't forget to vacuum and dust those hidden corners that you tend to skip usually. Check your closets, shelves, drawers, your fridge and see if there's anything that needs to be thrown away (food that's past its expiration date, ripped clothes, worn out shoes, heaps of papers and old magazines, useless objects that you never use and so on). Don't hesitate. We all have the tendency to leave things aside on the basis of "you never know when this could be useful". If you don't keep something because you will really need it, then you are doing this out of some other, intrinsic need. Nobody other than you yourself can determine what this ulterior motive is.

When I start cleaning around the house, I really am thorough - I go over every shelf, every corner in every room and crazily start throwing away everything I don't need. Here are some principles I usually stick to when cleaning:

• I form four heaps: "to sell", "to throw out", "for recycling" and "gifts/donations" (to a specific person, or a charity, library, home and so on). If the object at hand doesn't fall into any of these categories, then it means that I can keep it and that I either really need it or that I really don't want to get rid of it.
• You don't need to throw away absolutely everything. You may want to keep a little trifle because it may be of strong sentimental value to you, but you also shouldn't overdo this. It's OK to keep a few photographs, or one or two trinkets, but not fifty. Sentimentality is one thing, but arrestment in the past is another. It's a good idea to throw away things for past relationships for the same reason.
• I throw away things (so to speak; you can give them away/sell them etc.) that I haven't used in over a year and can't see myself using in the next six months.
• I get rid of things that bring back bad memories and which I really don't care for.
• Throw away things that have "expired" - rotten food/drinks gone bad, torn, broken, worn out things which are not worth fixing/cannot be fixed or reused in a different practical way.
• Throw away unfinished things. If you started this particular project a long time ago and still haven't finished it and if you don't plan on doing so, you don't need to kid yourself (especially if you find yourself saying: "Wow, I forgot about this!").
• When cleaning out your closet, throw away everything you can't wear anymore (because it's too big/too small/worn out/torn/uncleanable/looks bad on you etc.). If a pair of pants can be taken in a bit, take them to the seamstress to get fixed the same day, or the next at the latest. If they really can't be saved, then I just "throw them" away immediately. There's no need to keep things that are too small for us, that we have outgrown and that we may want to wear again in some distant future. These things keep us stuck in our past in which we were thinner, going through a phase and so on. There's not need to go back. It's better to look towards the future. Also, don't forget to throw away worn out, old underwear and odd socks.
• If I don't see a use for it, I throw it out! I always get rid of things that I once got as a present/bought and never used (or used/wore once and weren't satisfied with) and for which I simply don't see a use anymore. They can be appliances, books, clothes/shoes, decorations etc.
• Thoroughly go through papers! I always throw out old pieces of paper, newspapers, magazines, stacked up receipts, deposit slips and the like. This is an incredibly tiring task because you need to go through so many papers in detail. Papers, old notebooks, magazines and similar things end up in the recycling bin without too many questions being asked. However, receipts and similar more important documents need more detailed examination. I personally throw away receipts for things that I cannot return any longer, for things that are no longer under warranty and for those that I am satisfied with and don't plan on returning. After this, I throw about all the receipts/deposit slips etc. that are more than a year old. Once I have sorted these papers into two piles ("to throw out" and "to keep"), I neatly put away those which I need to keep in files, registrators or using some other filing system. I also develop an organizing system for these papers. Usually, I categorize them by the domain/obligation they are connected to, such as "bank", "school", "business", "bills" etc. and further file them by date.
• Decorations, or useless kitsch? I like to throw away old decorations and other impractical objects that don't remind me of anything in particular and which I keep "just for the sake of keeping". These objects just end up collecting dust on your shelves and suffocate your home.
• Don't forget your bathroom and medicine cabinets! I always have a detailed look at the cabinets and shelves in my bathroom and throw away all medicine that is past its expiration date (they really do present a health threat!).
• Piled up cosmetics are always a problem. This is why I go through my cosmetics and throw away anything that cannot be used any more (because it's just gotten old, too hard, too watered down, past its expiration date etc.). By the way, when I say "cosmetics", I'm not only referring to lipstick, eye shadows etc., but also to creams and any other skin-related products you might have.
• Check your jacket pockets and bag (or bags as the case may be for most women). Completely empty them out, vacuum them if necessary and throw away everything that has piled up in them and that you don't need anymore. You would be surprised at what you can find there; from money, to stray bits of paper, old tissues, forgotten cosmetics and so on.
• Take care of your computer! Junk can pile up in the virtual world as well. Regularly cleaning your computer is always the best option (the same applies to real life), but theory is one thing and practice entirely another. When I clean my computer, I use the following programs: CCleaner, AVG antivirus and Defraggler. Research what these programs do; you'll be able to figure out which ones you will find useful. It's also a good idea to delete any duplicate documents or those that you really don't need anymore and make a backup on an external hard drive, or online (for example, using Google Drive or a similar application).
• You can't forget about the big things such as cleaning your curtains (this is best done once or twice a year because your  home instantly smells and looks more airy), cleaning your windows (which is extremely tiring but equally necessary as cleaning curtains), cleaning your car (you can put aside some extra money for deep cleaning and vacuuming your car once a year), cleaning your pillow cases (yes, I'm talking about the ones on your couch!) and so on.

The small changes that I also like to make in this period simply because they make my home feel more clean are the following: changing the sponge, changing all the bed sheets, throwing away my old tooth brush, neatly folding plastic bags (we keep them all in a drawer because they always come in handy), changing the vacuum filter, throwing away all pens that don't work anymore (yes, this means you have to check them one by one), cleaning the keyboard (dust and grease get between the keys) and the list can go on indefinitely.

Of course, we cannot forget about ourselves at the end of the day. There's nothing better than a relaxing shower/bath after a strenuous day of cleaning, followed by a healthy, tasty meal and a restful night's sleep.

Surely, the above list is realistically much too long. It's good to do all of these things, but it's of course impossible to do it all in one day. The period of (pre-) spring cleaning can last a long time depending on how much needs to be cleaned any how much we ourselves are ready to clean at that particular time. This is why the process can begin on January 31 and can slowly be carried out until Ostara.

However, cleaning the external is the easiest part. Spiritual and emotional cleaning, which can be begun at the Imbolc ritual, takes much longer. Some of us may already know what they want to get rid of, while others may decide to seize the opportunity to gain insight into this. But, even when we become aware of what exactly we want to get rid of, it's sometimes not enough to just know the bare fact. Sometimes we have to go deeper and look into its roots. If we are dealing with emotions, patterns of behavior or bad habits, we may only get rid of the symptom by discarding this one "fact" (emotion/pattern/habit), but perhaps not its cause as well. This is when real individual growth and spiritual development begin.

With this post, I would like to prompt you to work on yourselves, to improve the quality of your lives and personalities and to explain in what ways the Pagan Sabbats can be practically incorporated into everyday life. In hopes that you will apply some of my suggestions, or perhaps question them and in doing so find a different path that will better suit you, I wish you all the best and send you my Imbolc blessings!

Yours truly,

Witch's Cat

Imbolc (February 2)

Imbolc (read /immol'g/ or simply /'imbolk/) is also known as Imbolg in Celtic. It is described as the festival of light because it announces the coming of Spring. This date might be familiar to you because it is also the day of Candlemas in Christianity. The Celtic name itself means "inside the stomach" which is a reference to pregnancy and the beginning of fertility i.e. the first movements of Spring inside Mother Earth's womb. Like all other Celtic festivals, this is a fire festival but it doesn't accent the warmth of the fire but rather its light. This will be logical to most people because (at least where I come from) February is the coldest month of the year (this may differ from country to country) although Winter is already present throughout the whole of January.

The Goddess that is celebrated on this day is Brigid (Brid), the Celtic Goddess of the triple moon, light and fertility. Her symbol is the large moon that lights the dark paths ahead of us in nature. She falls under the category of those Pagan gods who were Christianized without much attempt to really hide it. In Ireland, February 1 is known as St. Brigid's Day. The saint herself lived from 453-523 AD, but despite the fact that we're talking about a Christian saint, she is celebrated in the same places and same ways as her Pagan counterpart. The myth says that St. Brigid was brought up by a magician and had the ability to multiply food and drink and thus feed the people. But there was also a fun side to the story - she could turn water into beer :D Her symbol is the famous Brigid's cross which is made in Ireland even today. Usually, it is made out of reeds or straw and this tradition probably comes from the pre-Christian tradition connected to the preparation of seeds for sowing in the Spring. Brigid's name is pronounced /braid/ in England (like a wedding bride), but in Ireland it is usually pronounced /bri:d/ (breed).

An old Scottish tradition includes the women of a household making an oat-grass dolly (or simply tying the oat-grass together) and dressing it in girls' clothes on the eve of Imbolc. The doll is then put into a Brigid's bed (actually a simple woven basket) along with a bat (that symbolizes the phallus). After all the preparations are done, the women invoke the Goddess by chanting three times: "Brid is come! Brid is welcome!". The doll is then left until morning next to burning candles (but far enough so it doesn't catch fire) and if there is an impression of the club in the ashes of the hearth in the morning, the year is thought to be fruitful. This is a clear metaphor for sex which you can connect to Spring by yourselves :)

On the Isle of Man, there was another tradition. On the last day of January, one person from the household would collect a bunch of reeds or rushes and knock on the door of their family (each family does this separately, just to be clear). The lady of the house (usually the mother) would send someone to answer the door who would, upon seeing this person, wish a warm welcome to Brigid (the person collecting the rushes obviously represents the Goddess herself in this tradition), after which "Brigid" would answer: "God bless the people of this house.". The rushes would then be sprinkled with some kind of holy water. Now why did they need these rushes? Well to make Brigid's crosses, of course! After a satisfying amount of crosses was made, the left-over rushes were buried and the feast could begin. On November 1, the crosses from last year had to be burnt and the new ones would be hung around the house to replace them.

There are two types of Brigid's crosses. The first is actually the Celtic cross (a cross of equal arms inside a circle) and the second a simple cross of equal arms. You can have a look at this link if you want to learn how to make one yourself. :) You can also have a look at my work and instruction in the post entitled "Brighid's Cross" and have a few laughs. :)

In Ireland, there are many holy wells, and most of them are dedicated to Brigid. Even today, people sometimes ask for her help when it is needed and tie ribbons made of various materials on nearby trees/bushes to represent these wishes.

Wells can be associated with water and cleanliness which leads us to the role of February in ancient Rome  Namely, this month was intended for cleansing (Februarius mensis - the time of ritual cleaning). At the very beginning of the month, we have the celebration of Lupercalia (read /luperka:lia/). The main tradition of this festival is a bit funny to me but here it goes anyway. The Luperci, who were Pan's priests, would run practically naked through the streets on this day wearing nothing but a goatskin girdle and carrying goatskin thongs. They would (lightly) strike every passer-by and especially married women. If you were struck, this was actually a great thing because it was believed to bring fertility. This tradition made it until the Christian era and even the famous Mark Anthony played the role of the Lupercus. In time, even women got into the habit of walking around naked because this meant bigger chances of being struck and therefore, more fertility. It wasn't until the Pope Gelasius I (492-496 AD) that this tradition was banned, but even he was forced to publicly apologize because the people simply didn't accept this interdiction. This festival of Lupercalia was finally banned in the 6th century.

Another interesting tradition on Imbolc is the lighting of Yule plants (holly, mistletoe, ivy, rosemary, laurel etc.) because if any of these plants were left in the house, it was thought that evil spirits would haunt it. The message that this tradition sends is that one cycle is over and that another one is beginning and that we have to be able to let some things go. You're probably familiar with Spring cleaning. Though there is no official date for this cleaning, most people do it and aren't all that happy about it when the time comes. But this cleaning is again symbolic since you often get rid of a lot of things as well as vacuum and do other chores around the house.

Also, in England, France, Germany and Spain, some people believe that if Imbolc is cursed with bad weather, then the Winter is actually over, but if it is sunny on this day, then the harshest is yet to come. Perhaps the message of this is that we can't hurry the transition of the seasons? :)

Motifs of fertility and impregnation (metaphorical, of course) are incorporated into rituals in Wicca. This is usually done by the High Priestess calling the God into the High Priest instead of the other way around (which is the usual way as seen in the Drawing down the Moon ritual). Dancing is also often found in rituals because of its ability to raise energy. The sixteenth-century dance called La Volta is usually connected to Imbolc. I managed to find what it actually looks like on youtube for you :) Though it is thought that it comes from an earlier "witches' dance" in which a man and woman would dance holding each other's hands while standing back to back. 

Even in Christianity, the crown of light is a popular symbol for Candlemas and it is usually worn by little girls who symbolize the just-beginning, young year. In Wicca, you will usually see a grown woman wearing this crown and she will embody the Mother Earth who becomes all the more fertile in this time of year.

In addition to Brighid's cross and the crown of light for decorations, you can also have a stick somewhere on your altar/inside the circle if you like. This stick will be a phallic symbol during your ritual and if you have a bit of spare time in your hands and a bit of good will, then you can make a priapic wand/stick yourself by tying/gluing a pine cone on the top of this stick. Also, it is traditional for the person enacting the role of the Maiden (the High Priestesses' "assistant") to carry a bouquet of Spring flowers with her and the person playing the role of the Crone to have a dark veil/shawl or something like this on her. You will often see a cauldron with a candle in it for the aforementioned burning of old plants (that is, if you can't light a fire anywhere).

I you feel like reading a bit more, then have a look at this post. :)

Sabbat:	Imbolc
Pronunciation:	/'imbolk/, /immol'g/
Date:	February 2
Other names:	Imbolg, Candlemas, Brigantia, St. Brigid's Day
Phase of the God:	Grows up (from the Blue to the Green God), in some traditions he impregnates the Goddess (the Oak King)
Phase of the Goddess:	The Maiden (rests from rebirth)
Symbolism:	Celebrating light, urging the Sun to show again
Traditions:	Lighting candles in a circle, putting a bowl of snow on the altar, making Brighid's crosses and oat dollies, the Brigid's bed story, burning old plants, making the crown of light (a great way is to use birthday candles)
Symbols and colors:	White, red, pink, green, blue, the wheel (most often on the altar), the consectration of seeds, greenery as decorations, candles
Traditional food:	Celtic Cakes Imbolc Crescent Moons I would recommend you have a look at these two great websites: Imbolc Recipes Imbolc by Akasha Appropriate ingredients include seeds, dairy products (and milk), as well as refreshing ingredients such as lemon and vanilla.
Traditional incens:	Basil

I think that's about it for this post :) expect a nice recipe from me one of these days and as soon as I get the necessary materials, I'll put up a tutorial of my own on how to make a Brighid's cross. 

May you be merry and have a wonderful Imbolc! :D

Until next time. Yours,

Witch's Cat